Snickerdoodles

I have the fondest childhood memories of these delicious cookies, which I used to eat at a friends house. With time the idea of Snickerdoodles had escaped my mind and I had forgotten all about them, I don't know if it's because they're really not common in Puerto Rico or because other cookies are more prominent, but I just couldn't remember them. I found them again one day at Quiznos and couldn't believe it, the taste and smell of them filled my mind, but they didn't taste the same... So, yesterday while I was searching different recipes I found them again and decided that I would try and make them and here it is! This recipe makes pretty thin cookies, which would be the perfect compliment for ice-cream, and even more so if they're warm or right out of the oven! All I can say is that traditional baking rules do apply, I burnt my first batch by leaving it unattended for like 5 minutes, so be very watchful, besides that the results are great! Hope you try this recipe!

Let me know what you think!

Xo

Flor

Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Steps

Heat oven to 400F. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, shortening and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 mins or until set. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool.

Pastries with Chantilly Cream

Here's another recipe for the quick recipe box. Since posting the quick Chocolate Cupcakes with Salty Caramel Frosting, I've been thinking about other super easy and fast recipes that you can whip up in just minutes. I keep coming up with the same concept, half store bought and the other half made from scratch. Making pastries is no easy challenge, it takes time, attention and lots of patience, but a great way to skip all that and get great results is using store bought puff pastry. For this recipe I used puff pastry, which I cut it into squares and placed in a cupcake tray and baked until golden. I then filled them with Chantilly Cream, which is super delicious and extremely easy to make, you just need 3 ingredients and your done! This dessert tastes super light, so it's great for summer and it literally does not take more than about 20-25 mins to make! If you're feeling more adventurous you can definitely  switch the vanilla in the Chantilly Cream for orange, lemon or liquor. Another choice could also be grating or drizzling chocolate over the cream. Hope you like it!

Let me know!

Xo

Flor

Chantilly Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioner sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Combine all three ingredients and whip until desired consistency. Chill in the refrigerator until moment of use. 

Coffee & Hazelnut Cake

This Coffee and Hazelnut Cake tastes like heaven! Super moist with just the right amount of buttercream to hazelnut ratio. I won't say it's super easy to make just because it's pretty time consuming, but if you have skinned hazelnuts then it's not so time consuming. You can swap the hazelnuts for some delicious macadamia nuts or go for something that you probably already have in your pantry, like some walnuts. This is a nice twist to the more usual chocolate or vanilla cakes, it's always nice to change things up! If you really like a lot of frosting on your cake or you're baking it for someone who does, you'd probably would like to double the frosting recipe, I personally love the look of just frosting the top and the center of the cake, it looks really effortless and homey, Hope you enjoy the recipe!

Let me know what you think!

Xo

Flor

Coffee & Hazelnut Cake

1 cup skinned hazelnuts

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons very strong brewed coffee, cooled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 8x2" round cake pans, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-1o minutes until lightly roasted, shaking sheet once and watching carefully to make sure they don't burn. Let cool. Finely chop 2/3 cup of the hazelnuts and set aside for the cake. Coarsely chop the remaining hazelnuts and reserve for the garnish.

Sift together flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until very light and fluffy.

Add eggs very slowly,with the electric mixer running, adding 1 tablespoon of flour during the process to prevent curdling. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the remaining flour, finely chopped hazelnuts, milk, and coffee until well blended.

Spread evenly between the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cakes spring back to the touch or wooden toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool slightly in the pans. Turn out on wire racks and remove paper and let cool completely. 

Buttercream

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons very strong brewed coffee, cooled

Directions

Cream butter and sugar together for at least 5 minutes or until really light and airy, then add the coffee. Mix well. 

Spread half the buttercream on to the base of one cake, lay the other on top and finish with remaining buttercream. Sprinkle the coarsely chopped hazelnuts and voilá! 

Lemon on Lemon Cookies

I've just added a new favorite recipe to the list, these lemon cookies with lemon filling are amazing! The cookie itself is a great recipe, with a really buttery texture and the filling is the finishing touch, you could definitely mix this recipe up and switch the lemon zest & juice and instead use orange. This is the first time I tried to make sandwich cookies and I must say that I felt like a pro baker, I had always stayed away from them thinking that they were too complicated, but these are really easy and fun. Note to self would be to make the cookies thinner and add lemon zest to the filling, but if you're not too crazy  over a very lemony taste the original lemon filling recipe works just fine. These cookies would be the perfect companion for a coffee or tea brake! Hope you like them!

Let me know!

Xo

Flor

Lemon Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add flour, finishing mixing with a wooden spoon.

Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour and up to 3 days.

Place dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough about 1/8 inch thick. (If dough cracks, let it warm up slightly).

Cut cookies with a 1 1/2 inch round cutter. Place 1 inch apart; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until bare beginning to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Lemon Filling

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Steps:

Combine sugar and lemon zest until smooth but not runny, add more confectioners' sugar to thicken.

Source: Martha Stewart 

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Miniature Lemon Delights

There's something about lemon sweets that just makes them perfect for summer. I usually wouldn't put Butter Cream Frosting and the word light in the same sentence, but this one is particularly light and refreshing tasting. I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe, super easy to make, because I wanted it to be about the lemon frosting. I thought of maybe doing lemon cupcakes, but the vanilla ones were really the perfect canvas for the frosting and gave for a more light tasting sweet and not an overpowering lemon taste. I went for miniature cupcakes instead of the regular ones, to keep them bite sized and in the same line of simple and light. This recipe works perfectly for a summer get together, they're petite and refreshing, which is really important in hot summer days. I'll be posting more recipes about lemon treats during the next couple of weeks, I personally think lemon is the way to go during summer, plus I saw a lemon and honey tart that's just calling my name! Hope you like the recipe!

Let me know!

Xo

Flor

Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups sifted flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and milk, stir to blend, then beat slowly about 1 1/2 minutes with an electric mixer. 

Add egg and vanilla and beat slowly 1 1/2 minutes. Bake 20-25 minutes until cakes are golden brown and springy to the touch. Let cool.

Butter Cream Frosting

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened to room temp

1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar, sifted

4-5 tablespoons lemon juice

3-4 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cream butter until fluffily; beat in sugar, a little at a time, adding alternately with lemon juice. Mix in finely grated lemon rind and salt and beat until satiny and of good spreading consistency.

Banana Oatmeal Loaf

I must admit that I'm a huge bread fan, I usually go for whole wheat breads, but I'll really taste any type of bread I find. I tend to use bananas only in my post workout frappes, but I had a couple of them left and didn't want them to go to waste, so I decided to try out this recipe from a new book I bought. It's a super moist bread that has a bit of a crunch from the crust and texture from the oatmeal. I used and recommend regular oats, because they have more of the nutrients than instant oats have, but if you find oats that have been processed even less those will be healthier, but it really depends on what you prefer. I can see this bread working perfectly for a light weekend brunch, or packing it as a nice snack during a hiking trip or a day at the beach. Hope you like this recipe!

Let me know

Xo

Flor

Banana Oatmeal Loaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup regular oats

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 large)

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in oats

3. Combine bananas, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Add to flour mixture, stir until moist

4. Spoon batter into an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean

*Source: Cooking Light Way to Cook 

Acaí Purple Bowl

I learned about purple bowls a couple of months ago and since then I've been crazy over them. I usually share dessert recipes that lack on the low cal and healthy vibe, so I thought this would be a nice twist to my usuals. The main ingredient in the purple bowl is acaí purée and it's basically the reason why it's so healthy, it's full of antioxidants. You can add any other fruits you like to the purée and in terms of liquid you can use soy milk, regular milk, apple juice, orange juice or whatever you want to try out. I used strawberries, blueberries, bananas, mangos and added Naked's Berry Blast juice, but remember you can add any fruits and liquid you want. You can use honey or agave to sweeten the purple bowl and add some granola at the end when you pour it into your bowl. 

Usually when I try these type of things at restaurants or shops, I tend to be uneasy about them because it's easy to think they're low calorie, low sugar and just healthy, but they've added tons of sugar to make them taste good. If you have time to make them at home do it, plus it's super easy and fun, but if you know a place and trust their product that's perfect also. I really hope you try this out, it's perfect for your sweet cravings and those hot summer days to come, and I promise you it tastes amazing!

Xo

Flor

Ingredients I used:

1 Banana

8 Strawberries

Handfull of blueberries

Half a mango

2 packs acaí purée 

Handfull of granola

Squirt of Agave

Small amount of Berry Blast

Instructions:

***Purple bowl has a thicker consistency than smoothies or frappes so you'll need to add a small amount of liquid and use the acaí purée packs still frozen to maintain this consistency.

Add the fruits, acaí purée packs, small amount of liquid and agave in a blender and blend away. Transfer the mixture to a bowl where you can add granola, more berries, coconut flakes or nuts on top.